President Rodrigo R. Duterte has downgraded the community quarantine classifications in Metro Manila and other areas previously placed under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).
During his public address on late Monday evening, Duterte approved the recommendation of the IATF to place the National Capital Region (NCR), Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, and Rizal under general community quarantine (GCQ).
Other GCQ areas are Nueva Ecija, Batangas, Quezon in Luzon; Iloilo City, Cebu City, Lapu Lapu City, Mandaue City, Talisay City, the municipalities of Minglanilla and Consolacion in Cebu province for the Visayas.
“The rest of the Philippines are placed under Modified General Community Quarantine,” Duterte said. The new classifications will take effect from Aug. 19 to Aug. 31, 2020.
Additional condition
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the lowering of the community classification would allow most business operations to resume in NCR, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan.
The new GCQ classification would also allow restaurants in NCR and the four provinces to offer dine-in services.
The downgraded quarantine measure in the said areas, however, came with the condition that Covid-19 measures there should be “refreshed or rebooted.”
Roque said the said measures include intensified testing; pilot for pooled testing; house-to-house visit to test and bring asymptomatic patients isolation facilities; wider contact tracing operations; and the construction of more isolation facilities.
Testing protocols
Duterte also clarified that reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing is not recommended or required for asymptomatic employees returning to work.
However, he said priority workers in specified sectors like tourism, health, and manufacturing establishments in economic zones, may undergo the said testing.
“The employers are highly encouraged to send their employees to testing at no cost to their workers,” Duterte said.